Sickle for mowing-machines and the like.



l. C. ALFOBD. SICKLE FOR MOWNG MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, I916- Patented June 26, 1917.

Inventor Witnesses Attorneys 7 To all whom it may concern:

JOSEPH CHURCHILL ALFORD, OF MABEN, MISSISSIPPI.

SICKLE FOR MOWING-MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Application filed November 13, 1916. Serial No. 131,128.

Be it known that I, J osuPH C. ALFO D, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maben, in the county of Oktibbeha and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Sickle for Mowing-Machines and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sickles for mowing machines and the like.

It is a well known fact that sickles as heretofore constructed with fastening rivets and the like extending through them often break because'they are weakened where the rivet holes are formed in them.

One of the objects of the present 1nvention is to provide a sickle the bar ofwhich is imperforate, novel means being employed for securely holding the cutting teeth to the bar without necessitating the use of rivets as heretofore.

A still further object is to provide simple and eflicient means for attaching the sickle head to the bar, it being possible. readily to disconnect the several parts for the purpose of repairing or replacing them.

With the foregoing and otherv objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the 7 details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a sickle embodying the present improvements, parts being broken away. j

Fig. 2 is a section on line2-2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 Fig. 1. Fig. dis a perspectiveview of one of the teeth. j I v Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the keys or lockingstrips.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the elongated bar of the sickle, the same being provided, at regular intervals, with upstanding lugs 2 extending transversely of the bar'and with transverse recess 5 the bottom of which is in or cut away portions located between the lugs as shown in Fig; 1. When the keys are thus positioned they rest upon the upper faces of teeth 9 of novel configuration. As shown in Fig. 4, each of these teeth has elongated recesses 10 in its side edges and is provided, midway between said recesses, with a slot 11. The depth of each of the recesses 10 is substantially equal to one-half the width of one'of the lugs 2 and, consequently, when the teeth are assembled on the bar 1, each of the lugs 2 will be seated within recesses 10 in two opposed teeth and each lug 3 will project through a slot 11 in one of the teeth.

All of the lugs 2 and 3 on the bar are formed with transverse slots 6 except those lugs at on end of the bar where the sickle head 12 is to be attached. The lugs at this end of the bar are dovetailed in the direction oftheir length, as indicatedat 13 and the cutter head 12 is provided with transverse dovetail grooves 14 adapted to receive the lugs 13. 'A recess 15 is formed in one end of the head 12 for the reception of the end of one of the locking strips 7 hen it is desired to assemble the parts of the sickle, the teeth 9 are placed in position between the pairs of lugs 2, the front walls of the recesses 10 being first inserted into the notches 5, after which the rear walls of the recesses are pressed downwardly so as to ride over the rounded corners 1 of the lugs until the teeth become firmly seated on the upper face of the bar 1. During this setting of the teeth the lugs 2 will can be inserted into=openings 17 in theends of the sickle head 12 and into openings in certain of the lugs 13, thus to hold 'the sickle head against displacement. TherlOCking strips 7 are then insertedllongitudinally ".intothe transverse .recessesG 1n the.1ugs.2

and 3, this being done'by bringing the cut away portions of the strips 7 above the slots 6, lowering them into the-slots, and

.then shifting the strips longitudinally :to bring the cutaway portions intopositlons between the lugs. After the lockingstrips have thus been disposed, the one atthe outer end can be secured'by insertin-g-ascrew .18 into the bar 1 and upinto the'base of "said strip 7 asshown partlcularly iniFig. 2. Thus all of the parts will be held together.securely and will .not become disconnected.

Furthermore the bar v1 is not weakened'by .holessuch as ordinarily providedand, as a result, a sickle such as herein described, will outlast those in common use. "Obviously the various :parts can'be readily detached byreversing the operation hereinbefore described.

It is to be understood that oneor vmore of the lockingv strips or keys? can beplaced end to end, this being dependent upon the length ofthe sickle. In the drawings two of theselockingstrips or'keys havebeen shown.

WVhile screws 16 or the like are preferably employed for the :purpose of holding the .head 12 against withdrawal from the lugs 13,.itlis to be understood that thatend of key 7 extending into the recess or socket 15 will operate as a means for preventing detachment of the head 12.

Indentations 7 may be.providediin the upper edges of thekeys'? sothat by inserting a,punch into one of these indentations and incllning the parts toward one end or the other of the keys or lockingstrips the key canbedriveninto or out ofgposition. A slot 18 is for1ned longitudinally withinthe free end portion of the bar 1 :for the wreception of the screw .18. \Vhat is claimed is 1. .A sickle inoludingta bar, spaced dugs upstanding therefrom and extendingtransversely thereof, each lug having a recessin 1ts frontend and havlng a chamfered rear end, teeth having side recesses forthe reception of the lugs, the-front ends of the re-:

cessesbeing insertible into the recesses in the lugs, and means engaging the lugs for holding the teeth upon the bar. and between the' lu-gs.

2. A sickle including a'bar, upstanding key, said key constituting means for'hol'din .theheadagainst movement off of thelugs transverse lugs thereon, teeth engaging and interposed between the lugs, additional lugs upstanding from -.the :bar and extending through the teeth, and means engaging the 'il'ugsiforldeta'chablysecuring the teeth upon the bar, said securing means and lugs havingiinterfitting dovetail portions.

3. A sickleincluding a bar, lugs upstanding'ther'from,'teeth detachably mounted on the bar and interposed between the lugs,.additional lugs upstanding from the bar and extendingfthroi ghthe. teeth, a head slidable into engagement :with thelugs at one end of the :bar and bearing upon the teeth therebetween, said head. and lugs having 'interfit- .ting portions, .and a Z key insertible transversely into' the lugsto bind the teeth thereundertothe bar, saidahead'having a recess forthe reception of one end of the'key.

.4. .A siok1e including abar, lugs upstand- Ting. therefrom, "teethvdetachably mounted on .thef bia'r andiinterposed'between the'lugs, ad-

ditional lugs upstanding "from the bar and extending through :the teeth, ahead slidable intozengagemeiit with'thef lugs atone end of Ethebar andbearing upon-the'teeth therebetween, saidhead and ilugs having 'interfitting portions, a key in'sertible transversely into .the iremaining lugs to bind the teeth thereunder to the'bar, saidhead having a :recess .forthe reception of one end of the Zkey, and .means for holding the key. against movement 'relative to the bar.

.A sickleiinlu'ding a bar, lugs upstanding'therefrom,.teeth detachably mounted on the banandiirit'erposedbetween thelugs, ad-

ditionalrlugs upstanding "from l-the bar and extending through the teeth, ahead slidable 'into engagement with the lugs at one end of the bar and "bearing upon the teeth a therebetween, said Thea'd and lugshavi'ng inter'fitting portions, .:a key insertible -transversely into the remaining lugs'to bind the teeth thereunder :to' the bar, said head having a recess 'forthe 'receptionof one endof the engaged thereby, and means 'for "fastening the key to'the'ba'r.

6. A sickle including :a .bar, lugs upstandingtherefrom, teeth. interposed between the lugs .andre's'ting on .thelbar, additional lugs extending 'from the Tbar and through the teeth, said teeth having transverse grooves, keysiinsertible. downwardly into the grooves, and meanson. the keys and shiftable'longitudinally therewith into the grooves for .holding said keys against upward withdrawal from the grooves.

.7 Asickle including alba'r,'lugs upstand- T ing therefrom, teeth interposed between the lugs. andiresting. on thebar, additional lugs iiextending from the bar and through .the teeth, said teeth' having i transVersefgroo-ves,

keys insertible downwardly'intoth'e grooves,

means on the keys and shiftable longitudimy own, I have hereto aifixed my signature nally thierewithin into the groaves fogl holdin the presence of two Witnesses. ing sai keys against upwar with rawal from the grooves and means for holding JOSEPH CHURCHILL ALFORD' 5 the keys against movement relative to the Witnesses:

bar and lugs. W. W. MAGRUDER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as L. L. MARTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

